Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Silence ❯ Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Zell got back to the garden a few minutes late having taken his time walking to think. He was feeling a lot better now that things were patched up with Irvine and knowing that Seifer could finally get the help needed without any interference. There was still the matter of Irvine’s feelings for him to deal with but Zell didn't want to think about that. What could he really do anyway? You can't control someone else's emotions so he'd just have to deal and hope it didn't cause anymore problems.

Once he got to his and Seifer's door he turned the knob and pushed it open. A hand reached out before he could even take one step and it yanked him in roughly slamming the door after. "Hey!" Zell yelled at the offender as he was slammed against the nearby wall. His face registered pain as his former healing head injury was reawakened to pain.

"Do you get off on this or something?" A raging Seifer was face to face with him leaning down some to make eye contact with the smaller boy. He had the martial artist pinned to the wall by his arms.

"What?" Zell answered trying to sound authoritive but failing with the sudden quiver in his voice. He knew he had no upper hand when it came to Seifer.

"Did you have a good time laughing at me with your little play thing?"

"What are you talking about?" Zell thought about struggling to get free but that might make the situation worse so he stayed put. Hoping all Seifer needed was to yell at him and they could talk it out. That thought was short lived when Seifer tightened the grip on Zell's arms.

"Don't play stupid. I know you were... sucking face with that damn wannabe cowboy a few days ago and Hyne knows how many more times since then!" His yelling caused the small blonde to shrink away well as much as he could in that tight spot. "If our relationship is nothing but a fucking joke- a game to you then maybe we should end it now." He let Zell go.

"No its not." The boy began to explain. Wanting nothing more than to make things right.

"When the hell were you gonna tell me huh, never?" Seifer had his back turned to the other. "Have the school laughing at me in secret while the two of you screwed around!" He slammed his fist onto the nearby desk.

"That's not what happened I mean that's not what's going on." Zell rambled a bit not sure what to say or if Seifer could even hear him at this point. He walked towards his enraged lover but not too close. "It was a surprise to me too I didn't even see it coming Irvine kissed me but it was so short and only happened once. I swear." Without warning Seifer turned and punched Zell across the face making the boy stumble backward.

"Stop lying to me!" Zell sat on the floor against the bed holding his bruised cheek. Seifer walked over to him leaning down and lifted him up dropping him onto the bed. He straddled over the trembling figure, locking his legs around him before Zell could try getting free. Then he put his hands around the boys neck tightly. "Why don't I fix it so you never tell another lie again."

"S..fer.." Zell coughed struggling for any ounce of air trying to plead himself free.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself cause it was the last kiss you'll ever get." Seifer pressed Zell down harder into the mattress tightening the grip around his neck. Zell opened his mouth trying to yell for help but only a small strangled noise escaped. So he tried something else, getting a leg free he managed to kick Seifer away from him. The small blonde quickly got up and scrambled off the other side of the bed. Still gasping for air he ran to the door. Seifer picked up something any random object and threw it at the boys fleeing back but missed. Zell made it out into the hall safely.

"You can't runaway from me. I'll find you!" The gunblader called to the closing door. "He'll be back."

Walking over to the closet he opened the door and reached up on the shelf pulling down a small bottle of alcohol. He sat on the bed and drank, waiting for his unfaithful lover to return and he knew he would. 'And when he does come back..' Seifer pulled the knife from his back pocket and stabbed it into the mattress dragging the blade threw the fabric

.

Zell was hiding out in the boys bathroom stall catching his breath. 'He really tried to kill me.' His hand acting on its own rubbed his sore neck. 'No no he didn't he was angry again and who could blame him... How did he find out about that kiss?'

"....Selphie, Damnit!" He sighed in frustration banging his arm against the cold stall door. He rested his head against it for a minute before opening the door and slowly walking out. Realizing Seifer hadn't followed him he went over to the sinks and snatched some paper towels from the dispenser. He turned the water on 'This is exactly what I was talking about. Interference making everything worse. I should have never told Selphie anything.' He ran the paper towels under it for a second before squeezing them out. 'She's probably working with Irvine too, her, Quistis. Why can't they just let us work this out on our own.'

He looked in to the mirror checking out the bruise on his eye from Seifer's punch. He also saw the red on his neck and arms but there was something else. "Fuck." He touched the back of his head and new blood seeped from the old wound. He took the wet paper towels and pressed them to the injury. Staring hard into his own eyes for a moment he saw the pain and anguish that he tried so hard to hide from everyone else but failed in doing so. Tears threatened to fall as he saw the awful shape he was in, how tired his eyes looked and drained his face was.

'If they'd have just left us alone all this... crap could have been avoided.' He looked at himself harder this time and dropped his hand from the back of his head. 'No they aren't the ones putting these cuts and bruises here.' The words of his friends ran through his mind briefly.

/"Because we love you."

"Never forget I'm here and you can come to me for anything."/

After splashing the cold water on his face he turned the faucet off. Grabbing more paper towels he dried his face and tossed them in to the trashcan. "They're not the ones hurting me.. Seifer is." He left the bathroom and headed back to the boys dorms.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Seifer should be furious by now." Irvine sat against the headboard of his bed talking on the phone with Squall.

"I still don't like the idea of using Zell as bait but it might be the only way."

"Finally you agree with me. Hopefully he'll be o.k. enough to come to me for help though." There was a sudden knock on the door taking the cowboys attention away from the phone. "Hold on a sec." He moved the receiver away from his mouth and called out. "Who's there?" Zell's faint reply came from the other side of the door. "Hang on! That's him I gotta go." Right before he hung the phone up he could hear Squall.

"Just be careful not to screw it up this might be our only chance."

"Yeah yeah." He hung up and hopped off the bed to open the door. "Zell.. What happened?" What he saw for some unknown reason actually surprised the teen. He moved away for the bruised boy to enter and he closed the door after checking to make sure no one saw.

Zell took a seat heavily on Irvine's bed. "You were right." He sighed just as heavily. Irvine said nothing, instead he went into the bathroom getting the standard issued first aid kit. He came back out and kneeled in front of Zell taking out the necessary materials. Zell went on. "Seifer is dangerous. He's just... too angry." The brunette's mouth twisted in a way of saying 'I know' but he kept quiet. "Its stupid you know." The blonde kept talking while Irvine fixed him up the best he could. "Its stupid that I let this happen and denied it because I was too embarrassed to admit what was going on."

Irvine began cleaning up the mess and placed the materials back into the kit not caring how they went in, as long as the box closed. "Its not stupid to be afraid or embarrassed." He stood and sat beside Zell on the bed. "Its not stupid because you're a guy either. Its unfortunate for anyone that has to go through this but you can't blame yourself."

Zell let a strange choked laugh escape. "Of course you can say that, Its not you being beat up by you're own boyfriend." He stands up and walks away from the bed. "I mean I could have fought him off, at least tried to. I'm a fucking fighter for Hyne's sake."

"Seifer's bigger than you Zell he always has been and maybe all that anger he's got makes him stronger than you too. It might be better that you didn't fight back." Irvine put his hands on the solemn boys shoulders and guided him back to the bed sitting him down.

"I should have never trusted him. I mean he's Seifer after all. All he ever did was pick on me." Zell shook his head at his own stupidity not having realized this from the beginning. "I could have been with anybody else hell I could have been alone." Irvine could tell Zell was close to tears and he put his arm around him.

"I'm sorry about all this. it shoudn't have happened. I should have stopped it sooner."

Somehow Zell managed to keep his tears back but he sniffled. "Its not your fault either." He assured his best friend. Neither spoke for awhile and neither were sure how it happened but their lips met. It was almost like the first time, full of meaning and trying to soothe. Irvine knew it was wrong, situation wise but he'd been waiting for months to have Zell this way. In his mind taking advantage of Zell's vulnerability was nothing compared to what Seifer had done. Not only that but if Zell decided to stop things he'd at least have this moment to look back on.

'Its not wrong I'm convincing Zell he's got something better with me so he won't go back to Seifer. I'm keeping him safe.' Convincing himself completely he let the kiss go on another minute before separating them. Irvine held Zell's chin staring into sad eyes asking permission. A small change in Zell's expression was all he needed and his lips were on the others again. Irvine slowly and carefully lead Zell further onto the bed lying them down. He made sure not to hurt the boy anymore than he'd already been.

Clearing his mind of Seifer and everything bad that happened the past month Zell let himself be taken. All that mattered now was making himself feel better even for a brief period of time........

........In another room on another bed, As he smoked, Seifer flicked his lighter repeatedly letting the flame shine in the dark room then it would die down. One last flick he let the fire stay and passed the knife threw it before shutting it completely. He glanced at the digital clock beside the bed. Seconds passed.. minutes... an hour and still no Zell.........

........Zell and Irvine lay in bed together half covered by thin sheet. Irvine was asleep with his arm around the other. Zell stared into the dimly lit room only the light from outside the garden came through the window. Part of him felt like he'd betrayed Seifer but he knew the truth, Seifer had betrayed him first. Things were starting to come into perspective for the fighter. The changes in Seifer he ignored but now saw as the beginning of it all. The so called accidents of Seifer's rage and violence. Irvine's constant wanting to be around him hoping to keep Zell safe. The lies told by both Irvine (meant to protect) and Seifer (cover ups for his anger and obsessive, possessive jealousy) it all made sense now.

'Seifer does have a problem but there's nothing I can do for him. I need to end this myself now before it gets worse for me.' He slowly got out of Irvine's hold and the bed then quietly dressed himself. He glanced back for a second wondering if he should tell Irvine he was leaving but he decided against it and left.

Zell made his way towards Seifer's room trying to keep his nerves intact. 'If he's asleep I'll just get my stuff and go if not...' He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Getting into the room Zell only saw the glow of the digital clock. Thinking Seifer was asleep he crept in quietly. A small fire light suddenly glew from beside him making him jump a bit. Seifer had been standing right next to him the whole time. Zell stared into a face twisted with rage like he'd never seen before, illuminated by the fire glow. Zell's hand reached for the light switch but Seifer's was already covering it.

"I knew you'd come back." Seifer's voice was low and heavy. "I even waited up for you, how nice am I?" The tall teen leaned forwards sniffing at Zell's neck. It was just like he'd thought Zell reeked of Irvine. "I hope he was good probably not better than me though, right?" Seifer took his hand away from the switch to push Zell further into the room.

Panicked Zell said anything. "I don't know what you're talking about." Even he didn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth.

A frightening laugh escaped Seifer making the small boy shiver. "Again with the lies. It comes so easily now doesn't it. I can smell cowboy stink all over you." He shoved Zell again. "Just like at the hotel when you shared you're little embrace."

Zell backed up into the darkness as the small light came toward him. "Y-y you saw us."

"No shit. You know I gave you a chance to end this but you decided to play games instead and string me along. Cheatings no fun if the other knows about it right?" He let the lighter flame disappear and Zell made a mad dash in the dark for the door but Seifer stopped him before he could get anywhere. He had the boy by the waist lifted slightly in the air. Zell kicked and flailed to get free.

"Its over Seifer let me go."

"Its not over until you pay for what you did." Zell continued to twist around in the harsh embrace while Seifer strode over to the door locking it. Then he dropped the boy onto the floor. When Zell tried standing Seifer kicked him back down in the ribs.

"Aaah!" Holding his pained spot Zell tried to sit up but Seifer reached down grabbing him by the shirt and lifted him up punching him good in the jaw. Zell spit blood.

"You made me do this dinky. You turned me into this monster." Seifer spoke to Zell in a loving tone. One he'd used before, before the abuse. For a moment Zell felt hurt hearing the words said so sincere.

'It is my fault if I'd have just stayed- No no its not my fault its not!' Zell forced himself to stand and punched Seifer back. Then he went scrambling for the door trying to adjust his eyes in the darkness.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Seifer picked up the empty liquor bottle he'd been drinking from before and hurled in Zell's direction hitting the martial artist square on the back.

"Rrr" Zell sank down to the floor just in front of the exit. He grit through the pain just thankful it didn't hit his head. He knew he had to get up and unlock the door but his body ached so much. Seifer came over and retrieved the bottle breaking the end off on the wall. "Don't." Zell whispered hoping maybe his plea would get through the mans anger. "You need help Seifer I can help you." Empty words he knew it but at this point he'd try anything. However, Seifer showed no signs of backing off and Zell knew he had to act fast himself. Building up strenght he turned and kicked the gunblader in the legs knocking him to the floor. Then Zell took the bottle that hung loose in Seifer's hand.

"Little shit!" Seifer took the knife from his pocket and cut Zell across the cheek then he lunged on the boy. The two wrestled on the floor trying to gain control of the other. Zell was sadly losing the fight. Seifer had him pinned down. Sweat dripped from the tattooed face as he tried to keep the knife in his former lovers hand from making contact with his skin. "You're gonna wish you never betrayed me." Seifer yanked his arm free from Zell's grasp and raised the knife ready to bring it down on his exposed throat.

There was a sudden bang against the door and both boys looked up at it. "Zell!" Irvine shouted and wrestled with the knob, finding it locked he kept banging against it with his shoulder. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion at that point. Zell continued struggling as Seifer smirked and raised the knife again. The small blonde stared at the object horrified. All he could hear was his own breathing picking up and the banging outside the door. Before Seifer could bring the blade down the door flung open, light from the hall momentarily blinded his eyes. No one was exactly sure what happened then but both heard a bang go off. Seifer froze mid air staring straight ahead. Zell twisted his neck to look back and saw Irvine in the doorway gun held up in the ready position.

Looking back at Seifer he almost vomited seeing blood spill from the boys mouth above him. Then Seifer fell forwards landing just barely on top of Zell's trembling form.

Irvine dropped his gun and ran over to Zell moving the still figure off of him and he helped the teen up. "Are you o.k?" Panic rang clear in his voice but Zell said nothing. Just stared in shock and horror at his former lovers motionless body bleeding on the floor.